Canada men's national soccer team
| Shirt badge/Association crest | |||
| Nickname(s) | The Canucks, Les Rouges (The Reds) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Canadian Soccer Association | ||
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||
| Head coach |  Dale Mitchell | ||
| Most caps | Randy Samuel (82) | ||
| Top scorer | Dale Mitchell (19), John Catliff (19) | ||
| Home stadium | BMO Field | ||
| FIFA code | CAN | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 62 | ||
| Highest | 40 (December 1996) | ||
| Lowest | 103 (March 2007) | ||
| First international | |||
Unofficial:  United States 0 - 1 Canada  (Newark, USA; November 28, 1885) Official:  Australia 3-2 Canada  (Brisbane, Australia; June 7, 1924) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Unofficial:  United States 0 - 7 Canada (St. Louis, USA; November 16, 1904) Official:  Malaysia 0-5 Canada (Singapore; August 24, 1986) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Mexico 8 - 0 Canada (Mexico City, Mexico; June 18, 1993) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 1986) | ||
| Best result | Round 1, 24th place 1986 | ||
| CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup | |||
| Appearances | 11 (first in 1977) | ||
| Best result | Winners, 1985, 2000 | ||
| Confederations Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2001) | ||
| Best result | 1st round, 2001 | ||
The Canadian men's national soccer team is overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and represents Canada in international competitions at the senior men's level. The side has traditionally struggled to earn recognition at home and abroad while experiencing little international success. The Canadian women's national soccer team has enjoyed more international success, and both national teams languish to a large extent in the shadow of the country's highly successful ice hockey teams, as hockey is Canada's de facto national winter sport, and despite the popularity of youth soccer, there are limited professional avenues for young players within Canada.
History
Main article: History of the Canadian Soccer Association
Early years
Soccer was being played in Canada before rules were formalized in Britain, with the Dominion Football Association (1877) and Western Football Association (1880) acting as precursors to the modern-day Canadian Soccer Association. In 1885, the WFA sent a representative team to New Jersey to take on a side put forth by the American Football Association, the then-unofficial governing body of the sport in the United States. In an unofficial friendly, Canada defeated their hosts 1-0 in East Newark, New Jersey. The American team won 3-2 in a return match one year later. In 1888, a team represented the WFA in a tour of the British Isles, earning a record of nine wins, five draws, and nine losses. The squad comprised 16 Canadian-born players with the only exception being tour organizer David Forsyth, who had immigrated to Canada one year after his birth.[1]
In 1904, Galt Football Club represented the WFA at the Olympic Games in St. Louis, Miss. As just one of three teams competing, Galt defeated two American clubs, Christian Brothers College (7-0) and St. Rose (4-0).
In 1905, a British team of touring amateurs nicknamed the Pilgrims toured Canada, with their match against Galt billed as the "championship of the world". The match was played in front of almost 4000 fans in Galt, now a suburb of Cambridge, Ontario, and ended in a 3-3 draw.[1]
The Canadian national team toured Australia in 1924, playing a series of "test" friendlies against their hosts, including their first official match, a 3-2 friendly defeat to Australia in Brisbane on June 24, 1924. In 1925, Canada played their old rivals the United States in Montreal, winning 1-0 on Ed McLaine's goal. In a return match in November of 1925 in Brooklyn, New York, Canada was defeated 5-1. One year later, Canada lost 6-2 to the United States in the same city, before playing four internationals in a 1927 tour of New Zealand.[1]
World Cup qualifying 1957 to 1985
Following the lead of British football associations, Canada withdrew from FIFA in 1928 over a dispute regarding broken time payments to amateur players. They rejoined the confederation in 1946 and took part in World Cup qualifying in the North American Football Confederation (a precursor to CONCACAF) for the first time in 1957, the first time they had played as a national team in 30 years. In their first qualifier, Canada defeated the USA in Toronto 5-1, but lost two games in Mexico (failing to play a home game due to financial reasons) 2-0 and 3-0 before defeating the USA 3-2 in St. Louis. Mexico advanced as group winners, meaning that Canada missed out on the World Cup in 1958 in Sweden.[1]
Canada secured qualification for the 1986 World Cup after beating Honduras 2-1 in St. Johns, Newfoundland in 1985. Mexico had qualified as hosts, with Canada earning the remaining CONCACAF spot and the de facto title as CONCACAF champions. At the finals in Mexico in 1986, Canada impressed in a 1-0 loss to France in the first round before losing to both Hungary and the USSR 2-0, finishing at the bottom of the group.
1990s
In 1990, Canada took part in the NAFC Championship for the first time, hosting the three-team tournament. Mexico and Canada sent their full squads, but the USA sent a 'B' team and does not count the games as official internationals in its records. Canada won the title after a 1-0 win over the United States on May 6 and a 2-1 win over Mexico on May 13, all three goals scored by John Catliff, the tournament's top scorer.
In World Cup qualifying for USA 1994, Canada suffered their greatest ever defeat, an 8-0 loss at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico to the host nation. While the team failed to qualify for France 98, they played in the "hexagonal" final stage of CONCACAF qualifying, a feat they failed to repeat in qualifying for 2002 and the 2006.
Gold Cup
In 2000, Canada won the CONCACAF Gold Cup after emerging from the first-round on a coin-toss tiebreaker with invited side the Republic of Korea. A quarter-final extra-time upset over Mexico on Richard Hastings' golden goal set the stage for an unprecedented run to the final, where Canada defeated Colombia 2-0 at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif. Canada swept the awards ceremony, with goalkeeper Craig Forrest winning MVP honours, Carlo Corazzin securing the Golden Boot, and Hastings named "Rookie of the Tournament".
21st Century
Canada has enjoyed relative success in the Gold Cup, with third-placed finishes in 2002 and 2007 (alongside Guadeloupe in 2007) on either side of disappointing first round exits in 2003 and 2005. In 2007, under interim coach Stephen Hart, Canada won their group before losing in the semi-final to the USA. After the United States were reduced to ten men, Canada were controversially denied a stoppage-time equalizer on a play incorrectly flagged offside by Mexican referee Benito Archundia. In total, the team's 2007 record consisted of four wins, three losses, and three draws.
In qualifying for both the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup, Canada was unable to capitalize on their Gold Cup successes, failing to reach the final stage of CONCACAF qualifying on both occasions.
On June 7, 2006, head coach Frank Yallop resigned for a job with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Yallop, whose record with Canada was 8-9-3 since his hiring as national team manager on December 16, 2003, returned to the league where he began his coaching career as an assistant in 1999 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The former Canadian international had won MLS Cup titles with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001 and 2003. On May 18, 2007 the CSA named Dale Mitchell as the new head coach of the senior team. He took over after coaching the under-20 side to three defeats in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada in July of 2007.
Members of the media [2] and former national team players, including Rogers Sportsnet commentator and 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP Craig Forrest[3], have stated that the Canadian national program and player development system is in need of a major overhaul. In 2007, the Canadian Soccer Supporters United organized a campaign to have spectators wear black "Sack the CSA" t-shirts at the friendly between Canada and Costa Rica at the National Soccer Stadium.[4]
Canada U-20
Canada's Under-20 team has qualified for five of the last six FIFA U-20 World Cups. In 1997, the team advanced to the second round of the event, known as the FIFA World Youth Championships until 2005. Canada also qualified for the 2001, 2003 and 2005 tournaments; and hosted the 2007 edition. In 2003, Iain Hume and Atiba Hutchinson led Canada to a quarter-final appearance that ended in a golden goal loss to Spain in extra time. In 2007, Canada hosted the tournament, and despite an impressive run in friendlies leading up to the competition, went winless in first round play without scoring a goal.
Stadium
Canada's national stadium is the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, known as BMO Field when local resident Toronto FC of Major League Soccer play at home. Canada has also played internationals since 2004 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, British Columbia; Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta; and Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal, Quebec. The team is also likely to play at Saputo Stadium in Montreal upon its completion. Additionally, games at the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup were played at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal; Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario; and Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, British Columbia.
Supporter's Group
Recent results
Colors indicate result, Red = Loss, Green = Win, Tan = Tie
Upcoming fixtures
| Date | Tournament | Location | Home Team | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Panama
|
Canada
| |||
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
Canada
| |||
| Canada
|
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
Current national members
Recent squad
Canadian squad announced to play against Brazil and Panama in friendlies on May 31 and June 4th 2008.[6]
Recent call-ups
All call-ups updated to March 26, 2008.
- Goalkeepers
| Player | Date of birth | Club | Caps (clean sheets) | Most Recent Call up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asmir Begovic | 6/20/1987 |  Portsmouth FC
|
0 (0) | v Iceland, August 22, 2007 |
| Roberto Giacomi | 9/01/1986 |  Kristiansund BK
|
0 (0) | 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| Lars Hirschfeld | 10/17/1978 |  CFR Cluj
|
20 (6) | v Estonia, March 26, 2008 |
| Pat Onstad | 1/13/1968 |  Houston Dynamo
|
51 (20) | v Martinique, January 30, 2008 |
| Kenny Stamatopoulos | 8/28/1979 | Tromsø IL
|
5 (2) | v Estonia, March 26, 2008 |
| Greg Sutton | 4/19/1977 | Toronto FC
|
11 (4) | 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| Joshua Wagenaar | 2/26/1985 |  Lyngby Boldklub
|
1 (0) | v Hungary, November 12, 2006 |
- Defenders
- Midfielders
- Strikers
| Player | Date of birth | Club | Caps (goals) | Most Recent Call up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Ademolu | 11/20/1982 | Tromsø
|
2 (0) | v USA January 20, 2006 |
| Rob Friend | 1/23/1981 |  Borussia Mönchengladbach
|
14 (1) | v Estonia, March 26, 2008 |
| Charles Gbeke | 3/13/1978 | Montreal Impact
|
2 (1) | v Vejle Boldklub, February 3, 2008 |
| Iain Hume | 10/30/1983 | Leicester City F.C.
|
20 (2) | v Estonia, March 26, 2008 |
| Will Johnson | 1/21/1987 |  De Graafschap (on loan from SC Heerenveen)
|
3 (0) | v South Africa, November 20, 2007 |
| Ali Gerba | 7/27/1982 | FC Ingolstadt 04
|
15 (5) | v Estonia, March 26, 2008 |
| Olivier Occean | 10/23/1981 | Lillestrøm S.K.
|
15 (2) | v South Africa, November 20, 2007 |
| Tomasz Radzinski | 12/14/1973 |  Skoda Xanthi
|
36 (9) | v Estonia, March 26, 2008 |
Non-playing staff
| Name | Nat | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Dale Mitchell |
|
Head coach |
| Stephen Hart | 
|
Assistant coach |
| Nick Dasovic |
|
U-23 team coach |
| Paul Dolan |
|
Goalkeeping coach |
| Morgan Quarry |
|
Manager |
| Mike Moretto |
|
Equipment manager |
| Ted Tilbury |
|
Physiotherapist |
| Garret Kusch |
|
Massage therapist |
| Vic Mendes |
|
Video coach |
Managers
| Name | Nat | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don Petrie |
|
1957 | ? |
| Peter Dinsdale |
|
1968 | ? |
| Frank Pike |
|
1970 | 1973 |
| Bill McAllister | ? | 1973 | 1973 |
| Eckhard Krautzun |
|
1973 | 1975 |
| Bill McAllister | ? | 1975 | 1975 |
| Eckhard Krautzun |
|
1975 | 1977 |
| Barrie Clarke | ? | 1979 | 1981 |
| Tony Waiters* |
|
1981 | 1986 |
| Bob Bearpark |
|
1986 | 1987 |
| Tony Taylor | 
|
1988 | ? |
| Bob Lenarduzzi |
|
1989 | 1990 |
| Tony Waiters |
|
1990 | 1991 |
| Bob Lenarduzzi |
|
1992 | 1997 |
| Bruce Twamley (interim) |
|
1998 | 1998 |
| Holger Osieck |
|
1999 | 2003 |
| Colin Miller (interim) |
|
Fall 2003 | Fall 2003 |
| Frank Yallop |
|
2004 | June 2006 |
| Stephen Hart (interim) |
|
July 2006 | June 2007 |
| Dale Mitchell |
|
June 2007 | present |
*Bruce Wilson coached two matches at 1985 President's Cup in Korea
Competitive Record
|
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| CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total: 2 Titles | |||||||
| Year | Round | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
 1963 |
Did Not Qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 1965 |
Did Not Qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 1967 |
Did Not Qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 1969 |
Did Not Qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1971 |
Did Not Qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 1973 |
Did Not Qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1977 |
Fourth place | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
| 1981 |
Fourth place | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| 1985 | Champions | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 1989 | Did Not Qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1991 |
Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 1993 |
Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| 1996 |
Round 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 1998 |
Withdrew | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2000 |
Champions | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| 2002 |
Third place | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| 2003 |
Round 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2005 |
Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2007 |
Semi-Finals | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 |
| Total | 2 Titles | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 54 | 59 |
Pan American Games record
- 1951 - Did not enter
- 1955 - Did not enter
- 1959 - Did not enter
- 1963 - Did not enter
- 1967 - Fourth place
- 1971 - Fifth place
- 1975 - Round 2
- 1979 - Did not enter
- 1983 - Did not enter
- 1987 - Round 1
- 1991 - Round 1
- 1995 - Did not enter
- 1999 - Fourth place
- 2003 - Did not enter
- 2007 - Did not enter
NAFC Championship record
Records
Most capped Canadian players
As of January 31, 2008, the players with the most caps for Canada are:
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randy Samuel | 1983–1997 | 82 | 0 |
| 2 | Mark Watson | 1994–2004 | 77 | 3 |
| 3 | Lyndon Hooper | 1986–1997 | 66 | 3 |
| 4 | Alex Bunbury | 1986–1999 | 65 | 16 |
| 5 | Paul Stalteri | 1997– | 62 | 7 |
| 6 | Nick Dasovic | 1994–2004 | 61 | 3 |
| Colin Miller | 1983–1997 | 61 | 5 | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1980–1991 | 61 | 1 | |
| 9 | Carlo Corazzin | 1994–2004 | 59 | 11 |
| 10 | Bruce Wilson | 1980–1989 | 57 | 2 |
Top Canadian goalscorers
As of May 25, 2008, the players with the most goals for Canada are:
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Catliff | 1984–1994 | 43 | 19 |
| Dale Mitchell | 1980–1990 | 55 | 19 | |
| 3 | Alex Bunbury | 1986–1999 | 65 | 16 |
| 4 | Dwayne de Rosario | 1998– | 46 | 13 |
| 5 | Igor Vrablic | 1984–1986 | 35 | 11 |
| Carlo Corazzin | 1994–2004 | 59 | 11 | |
| 7 | Paul Peschisolido | 1994–2004 | 53 | 10 |
| 8 | Kevin McKenna | 2000– | 37 | 8 |
| 9 | Tomasz Radzinski | 1995– | 36 | 9 |
| 10 | Paul Stalteri | 1997– | 62 | 7 |
All-time record against other nations
| Team | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States
|
13 | 9 | 14 | 48 |
 Haiti
|
7 | 2 | 1 | 23 |
| Guatemala
|
7 | 2 | 2 | 23 |
 Bermuda
|
6 | 4 | 0 | 22 |
| Trinidad and Tobago
|
6 | 2 | 2 | 20 |
| El Salvador
|
6 | 2 | 4 | 20 |
 Jamaica
|
5 | 5 | 3 | 20 |
| Honduras
|
5 | 4 | 6 | 19 |
| Mexico
|
4 | 7 | 15 | 19 |
| Costa Rica
|
4 | 6 | 7 | 18 |
 Cuba
|
4 | 3 | 2 | 15 |
 New Zealand
|
4 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
 Martinique
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Australia
|
3 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| Panama
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
 Northern Ireland
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
 South Korea
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
 Belize
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
 Luxembourg
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
 Singapore
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
 Chile
|
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
 Austria
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 Barbados
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 Ghana
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 Hong Kong
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 Indonesia
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 Libya
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 North Macedonia
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Malaysia
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 Suriname
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 Switzerland
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 China
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
 Colombia
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
 Faroe Islands
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Greece
|
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 Iran
|
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 Wales
|
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 Brazil
|
0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
 Cyprus
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Iceland
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Paraguay
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Venezuela
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Uruguay
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Morocco
|
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
 North Korea
|
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
 Portugal
|
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
 Hungary
|
0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
 Algeria
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Argentina
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Belgium
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Cameroon
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Czech Republic
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| England
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Estonia
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Finland
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 France
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Guadeloupe
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Iraq
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Italy
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Japan
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Malta
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Netherlands
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Republic of Ireland
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Saudi Arabia
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Soviet Union
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 South Africa
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Tunisia
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Denmark
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 Egypt
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Germany
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 Spain
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 Turkey
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 East Germany
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
 Ecuador
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
 Poland
|
0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Scotland
|
0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Honours
Template:Sport honours Template:Sport honours
See also
- Canada women's national soccer team
- Canada U-20 men's national soccer team
- Canadian Soccer Association
- List of Canadian international soccer players (by decade)
- List of Canadian international soccer players (alphabetical)
- The Voyageurs
References
External links
- Canadian Soccer Association
- CANUCKS ABROAD: Current News, Interviews and Reports on all levels of Canadian Soccer
- Record International Players
- International Results until 1999
- History of soccer in Canada
Template:Fb start {{Canada Soccer player}} template missing ID and not present in Wikidata.
International association football | ||
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| World (FIFA) |  | |
| Asia (AFC) | ||
| Africa (CAF) | ||
| North America (CONCACAF) | ||
| South America (CONMEBOL) | ||
| Oceania (OFC) | ||
| Europe (UEFA) | ||
| Inter-Continental |
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| Non-FIFA | ||
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